When and where were you born?
December 10 (Sagittarius), 1962 (I'm ancient--you do the math) I was born in Seattle, WA but didn't live there very long.

Do you have any kids?
I’m married and have three kids--Zachary (9th grade in Fall 2008), Jesse (chica, 8th grade in Fall 2008), and Rayanne (5th grade in Fall 2008). We live in Denver, Colorado and their grandmother (my husband’s mom) lives with us, too.

Do you have any pets?

We had to put our adorable chocolate lab, Siena, to sleep in January 2007. She lived for the tennis ball and would be your best friend if you threw it for her. Rayanne has a betta fish but other than that, no pets.

What’s your favorite holiday?
Halloween

What are some of your favorite foods?

Avocados, french fries, Butterfingers, turkey burgers, chocolate, this awesome bean and sausage Italian soup at Undici’s Restaurant in Englewood, CO.

Do you have any siblings?

I have three sisters and one brother and each of us was born in a different state! I’m second oldest: My older bro, John, was born in Salt Lake City, UT. My sis, Michelle was born in New Orleans, LA (she's the blue clown in the pic at left), my other sis Cheryl (pronounced CH, as in :chair”) was born in Littleton and my baby sis, Rebecca, was born in Orlando, FL My sibling line-up from oldest to youngest: John, Denise, Michelle, Cheryl, Rebecca.

What is your fav color?

Black. But I also like deep colors like purple, fuscia, and teal--NO pastels!

What kind of music do you like?

I like a lot of different kinds of music. Rock is my fav but I also listen to celtic music, Native American flute, and other mellow stuff. Some of the bands on my iPod right now: Tom Petty, Hinder, Death Cab for Cutie, Cranberries, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones.

What are some of your fav foods?

French fries, mashed potatoes (without butter), hash browns (do you see a spuds trend here?), avocados, pasta with Italian sausage (no cheese, plz!), Chilean sea bass (but I stopped ordering it in restaurants when I found out it was endangered), Cold Stone’s Peanut Butter Cup Perfection, grapefruit, and the Salad Goddess’s fab salad (she knows who she is).

What’s your shoe size?
Women's 7 1/2-8, Chuck Taylor's: 6

Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Everywhere! Someone may say something, or I’ll read about something, or something happened to my son or daughter or niece or nephew. My ears are always open and I’ve got a long list of book ideas I can’t wait to work on!

Did you always want to be a writer?
When I was really young, I wanted to be a vet, then a firefighter, then a dancer. In junior high and high school I wanted to be either an actor or a writer. As I entered college, writing started to grab my interest more.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
I would probably work behind the scenes in movies or in the theater or teach writing or filmmaking.

If I send you my book or story, will you read it and tell me what you think?
I love to hear that you are writing your own stories and books! And I wish I could read them. But unfortunately, if I did, I wouldn't have time to write my own books, or keep my commitment to the writers in my writing groups. Check the Stuff for Writers page to get tips on writing and places to send your work.

How can I have my own website or blog?
There are a few places you can do this but I recommend talking to your parents first because its really important to BE SAFE. Never put in any personal information (full name, address, phone, school name, team name, stuff like that) so you are always safe online. Once you talk to them, have them search with you online for different places where you can keep a blog or have a website and make sure you always follow good Internet safety. 

The other option is just to keep a private journal on your computer. You can even do it in Microsoft Word and give the document a password so no one can read it but you. Check Word's online Help for instructions on how to do this.

I'm a writer, too. How can I learn more about writing and getting published?
Check out the Stuff for Writers page to get tips on writing and places to send your work.

Writing a book report?

You’ll find info here and also on the Bio to Go page.

If you have questions about a particular book (how long it took me to write it, etc), check out the FAQ for that book. Just go to the Books for Tweens page, Books for Teens page or Books for Kids page and click on the book you’re writing about.

 This is a cheese-free zone